Sri Lanka: The New Displaced Peoples

Dilrukshi Handunnetti reports in Groundviews that Sri Lanka’s largest internment facility was officially closed last week and its 346 interns were relocated to other confinement(s) instead of being resettled.

Bangladesh: Attacks on Indigenous Unsettle Chittagong Peace

A series of attacks on indigenous people have unsettled the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Bloggers reckon that these attacks were planned and were politically motivated.

Vietnam: Government Jails Three ‘Dissident’ Bloggers

Three Vietnamese bloggers have been convicted by a local court for allegedly spreading anti-government propaganda. One of them will serve a prison term of 12 years. Human rights groups immediately condemned the verdict and warned against the creeping online repression in the country.

Laos: Low Power Rates but Many People Still in the Dark

Despite the presence of several large hydro power plants in Laos, electricity access remains a problem for many people in the country. Power rates, however, are lower compared to other...

Urban Malaysian Dictionary

Amir Muhammad's Urban Malaysian Dictionary features commonly used words in urban Malaysia. The online project started in 2008.

Cambodia: Human Rights Situation

The Special Rapporteur also noted the use of the criminal justice system against human rights defenders and those peacefully exercising their right to express opinion freely This was part of...

Nepal: New Media Gufa – A New Experiment

Blogdai reports: Dharma Adhikari's Media Foundation held a “New Media Gufa” or “cave” where 5 of Nepal's top tech-savvy journalists chained themselves to their computers for three days in a...

Azerbaijan: Youth Activist Believed Arrested

Emin Milli's Blog comments on the apparent disappearance of a youth activist in Azerbaijan. The blog says it believes Zaur Gurbanly's believed arrest was because of anti-presidential leaflets that were...

Sri Lanka: The Rights Of The Homosexuals

Sri Lanka and India, despite our pre-colonial religious and social accommodation of differing sexuality, have remained Victorian in attitude long after the colonial powers have changed. In terms of gay rights, we really need to catch up, and be more honest to ourselves and each other.

India: Build Your Own Map to Improve Your City

Transparent Chennai is a platform for citizen engagement to help the citizens of Chennai counter inaccurate or incomplete government data with crowdsourced maps, and make better claims on the government for their rights and entitlements.

Armenia: Government Pressure on NGO

The Washington Post blog features an entry by David Ignatius detailing pressure on an Armenian NGO particularly active online. Founded by former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, government pressure...

Russia: Nation's Top Blogger Headed to Prison?

The criminal investigation targeting Russia's most prominent oppositionist blogger, Alexey Navalny, is heating up. Viacheslav Opalev, the former director of a logging firm in Kirov, has confessed [ru] to participating in...

Russia: Ridiculing the Winter Olympics Slogan

The just-announced slogan of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics (“Hot. Cool. Yours.”) has spurred a brief episode of merrymaking on the RuNet. At first that may seem surprising, while the English version of the slogan may sound slightly confusing and a bit corny, it isn't particularly rich fodder for jokes or double entendres.

35 Million Escape Poverty – But Can Brazil Overcome Inequality?

The United Nations campaign to end poverty in 2015 is finding results in Brazil, home to 194 million people. Some 35 million Brazilians have escaped poverty over the last decade, but questions are nevertheless being raised concerning the government's effort to overcome inequality.

Nepal: Another Plane Crash Dips Optimism

Lex Limbu used to share his optimism and hope for the domestic airlines industry of Nepal. But the recent Sita Air crash, and the death of 19 people on board,...

Ukraine: Protesting the Controversial Defamation Bill

A bill that calls for penalties of up to five years in jail for defamation passed a first reading in the Ukrainian Parliament on Sep. 18. Following the online campaign against the adoption of the bill, its author submitted a request to recall it. The bill isn't history yet, however, and the protest continues.

Turkey: Prime Minister Signals Negotiations with Kurdish Rebels

The Prime Minister of Turkey has signaled that he will negotiate with Kurdish rebels after months of deadly violence. In the past Turkey has been unwilling to do so despite calls from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.

Mexico: Missing Activist Aleph Jiménez Found Alive

Missing Mexican activist Aleph Jiménez was found alive and claims to have gone in hiding due to safety concerns. Netizens have mixed reactions to the news.

Australia: Social Media’s Search for Missing Woman

This week Melbourne has seen what is perhaps its biggest and its saddest social media campaign following the disappearance and alleged rape and murder of Jill Meagher.

Africa: Arranged Corporate Marriages

Bankelele points out corporate marriages of note in Africa: Barclays of UK and South Africa’s Absa Group are in talks to merge their African operations – but this is not...

Zambia's “Imaginary” Terror Plot

Zambia appears to be on the brink of ethnic conflict after a separatist group from Southern Province claimed to have killed members of the President’s tribe. However, many Zambians regard the threat posed by the Tongas Under Oath as the latest attempt by the government to discredit opposition parties.